17:25 Chester

Saturday 19 September 2026

All14:0014:3515:1015:4616:1716:5217:25

Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks Apprentice Handicap

  • 3YO plus  |   Class 5  |   1m 6f 87y  |   12 Runners  |   Turf
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Cloth number
Odds
Star rating
Horse A-Z
Show odds
1
(12)
Horse silk
Dream Harderp,t15
Age: 7|  Weight: 10-0| J: Hope Regan(7)| T: D M Loughnane| OR:  73| C
Reacted well to a first-time tongue tie (added to regular cheekpieces) when getting up in the dying strides over 1½m at Epsom (good to firm) in July. Well behind Zimmerman on much more testing ground at Haydock last time, though.
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Timeform
2
(9)
Horse silk
Spartan Times7
Age: 5|  Weight: 9-13| J: William Pyle| T: J Candlish| OR:  72
Won 4 times on the Flat in 2025. Made a winning return in a handicap hurdle in May and has been shaping up well on the Flat here lately. Likely to be on the premises again.
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Timeform
3
(1)
Horse silk
Carthusian67
Age: 4|  Weight: 9-12| J: Liam Wright| T: J Candlish| OR:  71
Fair maiden at up to 17f in Ireland for Jessica Harrington. New stable picked him up for 15,500 gns last month. The betting should help guide expectations.
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Timeform
4
(5)
Horse silk
Melon162
Age: 5|  Weight: 9-12| J: Charlie Maggs| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR:  71| D
Has developed into a useful handicap hurdler since a Flat win in the mud at Haydock in autumn 2024. Presumably using this as a prep for a return to hurdles but could still be hard to beat.
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Timeform
5
(4)
Horse silk
Zimmermanp,t11
Age: 7|  Weight: 9-12| J: Jake Dickson(3)| T: T D Easterby| OR:  71| D
Back to form with a vengeance this month, completing a quick hat-trick with plenty to spare at Catterick (1¾m, good) 11 days ago. Raised 6 lb but he's won off higher marks before.
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Timeform
6
(10)
Horse silk
Wiltshire Wonderp116
Age: 6|  Weight: 9-10| J: Zoe Lewis(7)| T: B J Llewellyn| OR:  69
Won twice at Southwell in 2024 (including off a higher mark) but made the track only twice last season and hasn't featured in 2 outings for current yard. Headgear goes on. Best watched unless the betting speaks in his favour.
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Timeform
7
(6)
Horse silk
Tabasko46
Age: 3|  Weight: 9-9| J: Ashley Lewis| T: E Walker| OR:  75| D
4/5, career best when winning 4-runner handicap at Lingfield (1¾m, firm) 46 days ago. Has form on softer than good and is less exposed than the majority of these.
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Timeform
8
(7)
Horse silk
Talka105
Age: 3|  Weight: 9-5| J: Millie Wonnacott| T: D McCain Jnr| OR:  71
Fair form in 3 Flat outings at up to 15f in France earlier in the year. Unexposed handicap newcomer for whom the betting should help guide to expectations.
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Timeform
9
(8)
Horse silk
Bulldog Spiritp,t8
Age: 6|  Weight: 8-13| J: Isobelle Chalmers(7)| T: B J Llewellyn| OR:  58| D
Not won for over a year and struggled this season, coming in a remote fourth over 2m here last Friday.
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Timeform
10
(2)
Horse silk
Kindly Queenp17
Age: 3|  Weight: 8-10| J: Christian Howarth| T: C N Kellett| OR:  62
Maiden. Second in a handicap for Ralph Beckett in May but no obvious promise in 2 outings for current yard.
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Timeform
11
(3)
Horse silk
Al Za'amat55
Age: 3|  Weight: 8-10| J: Alfie Redman(5)| T: D McCain Jnr| OR:  62WS
Undistinguished in 3 Flat runs for Andrew Balding and pulled up on hurdle debut for new yard in July. Has had a breathing operation ahead of this return to the Flat.
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Timeform
12
(11)
Horse silk
Risk Averse Rebel8
Age: 3|  Weight: 8-4| J: Myla Coppins(5)| T: G Hanmer| OR:  52
Remains winless but has placed on 4 of his last 5 starts, including over 10.3f here last Friday. Significantly up in trip. He's 4 lb out of the handicap so the likelihood is his wait for a first win will go on.
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Timeform

Forecasts

Zimmerman (5/2), Melon (3/1), Tabasko (10/3), Spartan Times (15/2), Risk Averse Rebel (12/1), Talka (16/1), Dream Harder (20/1), Carthusian (20/1), Bulldog Spirit (20/1), Wiltshire Wonder (33/1), Al Za'ama (33/1), Kindly Queen (33/1)

Verdict

MELON presumably has good handicap hurdles as his main aim in the coming months, but it's worth taking a chance that he's tuned up enough to take advantage of what should be a good mark in this sphere. The thriving Zimmerman is the second choice ahead of Spartan Times.

  1. MelonSP
  2. ZimmermanSP
  3. Spartan TimesSP

Prize Money

1st: £7,731.002nd: £3,626.003rd: £1,814.004th: £906.005th: £453.006th: £226.00

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